FROM CAIRO TO THE ATBARA 15

quaint enough. Before the final selection, batches were paraded before me from time

to time, some of whom were alleged to be

bilingual, nay, even trilingual; but in most cases a little wzvd@ voce examination revealed the fact that their English consisted of little

else than half a dozen ‘‘ swear words”; others again were persons with a “past,” and so unsuitable for the future. In Egypt one can rarely put any trust in written ‘“ characters,”

for such documents, either forged or secured from former servants, can be purchased in the bazaars at so much a dozen, the price, of

course, varying according to the social status of the master whose signature they are alleged

to bear. All that a disreputable Arab in search

of employment has to do is to ask the shopman

for a testimonial to the zeal and honesty of

‘“ Ali” or “ Mahmoud,” according as his name

is one or the other. After one’s choice had

fallen upon a comparatively blameless Ethio- pian from Dongola as cook, and a Cairene

Egyptian as sézs, the rejected candidates were dispersed by the jubilant pair amid a babel of imprecations heaped upon each others’

relatives dead and alive. Finally, the grateful